During Your School Days, What Were Your Favourite Poems?

anotheoldgit | 09:54 Mon 28th Jul 2014 | ChatterBank

44 Answers

Mine was Sir Henry Newbolt's Vitaï Lampada' ('Torch of Life'),

Closely followed by Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray

and

ABOU BEN ADHEM by James Henry Leigh Hunt

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight of his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:-

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
'What writest thou?' - The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered 'The names of those who love the Lord.'

'And is mine one?' said Abou. 'Nay, not so,'
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said 'I pray thee then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names who love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpawNZNJfQ

Good Morn Ing Early Bods

Have You Had A Nose At This Site??? Travel By Drone

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weecalf

On yonder hill there stood a cow
Musta gone cause its not there now

Captain2

Honestly cannot remember doing much poetry at school, but did always enjoy this:

I wandered lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of dancing Daffodils;
Along the Lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: –
A poet could not but be gay
In such a laughing company:
I gaz'd – and gaz'd – but little thought
What wealth the shew to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1807)

Since leaving though have had a soft spot for most things by Betjeman and on a lighter note Milligan takes some beating.

paddywak

I wasn't really interested in poetry at school but became interested in later life,mainly due to a long enforced stay in a hospital with quite a large selection of books of all types including several large volumes of poetry, this is one of the many that stuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7mEV9VUgtQ

-- answer removed --

mikey4444

The only one I remember was "Cargoes" by Masefield, as we all had to learn it by heart. Nice poem though...still one of the favourites !

Daffy6543

I always hated poetry and still do.

whirlyhurly

Nicholas Nye by Walter de la Mere

maggiebee

The Wild Geese by Violet Jacob sends shivers up my spine every time I read it. Violet was born Violet Augusta Mary Frederica Kennedy-Erskine was born at the House of Dun near Montrose, on 1 September 1863, eldest daughter of William Henry Kennedy-Erskine, 18th Laird of Dun. Although born into privilege she seems to have spent most of her childhood with the ploughmen and servants which comes through in her poetry.

'Oh tell me what was on yer road, ye roarin’ norlan’ Wind,
As ye cam’ blawin’ frae the land that’s niver frae my mind?
My feet they traivel England, but I’m deein’ for the north.'
'My man, I heard the siller tides rin up the Firth o Forth.'

'Aye, Wind, I ken them weel eneuch, and fine they fa’ and rise,
And fain I’d feel the creepin’ mist on yonder shore that lies,
But tell me, ere ye passed them by, what saw ye on the way?'
'My man, I rocked the rovin’ gulls that sail abune the Tay.'

'But saw ye naething, leein’ Wind, afore ye cam’ to Fife?
There’s muckle lyin’ ‘yont the Tay that’s mair to me nor life.'
'My man, I swept the Angus braes ye hae'na trod for years.'
'O Wind, forgi’e a hameless loon that canna see for tears!'

'And far abune the Angus straths I saw the wild geese flee,
A lang, lang skein o’ beatin’ wings, wi’ their heids towards the sea,
And aye their cryin’ voices trailed ahint them on the air –'
'O Wind, hae maircy, haud yer whisht, for I daurna listen mair!'

tamborine

This resonates with people I know, lol

http://exlaodicea.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/slough-by-john-betjeman/

anotheoldgit

Question Author

Ah yes, what true blooded English school boy couldn't not be moved by the words of the Charge of the Light Brigade?

Great film also, take your pick, the 1936 black and white starring Errol Flynn or the 1968 colour version starring Trevor Howard.

MallyJ

I did not like anything that I studied in English Literature at school. I found nothing to excite or inspire in poetry, novels or Shakespeare. Luckily I think it is a subject that is taught a little differently today. I found nothing more tedious than discussing every word, phrase, verse or paragraph. Oh and I have always read voraciously since I was 4!!

anotheoldgit

Question Author

The 1936 version

wolf63

I liked "This be the Verse" by Philip Larkin.

-- answer removed --

kvalidir

I've never been to school but poetry was always a huge part of life in our house. Favourites when little were epic sagas and great dramas like Paul Reveres Ride, The Skeleton in Armour, Lochinvar and my Dad always put me to bed and ended bedtime reading to me with the Tale of Custard the Dragon when I was tiny. I still love that. As I moved to my teens I liked Blake and the War poets and poems which stir emotions and I'm a big Ted Hughes fan at the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfQlTRCC0kM

Ken4155

Apart from the usual Lear nonsense poems, the one i remember most from my junior school days was 'The Listeners' by Walter De La Mare. I've just googled it to remind me of the words and i find it a little strange that this particular poem - or certainly parts of it - should resonate with an 11 year old lad!

anotheoldgit

Question Author

kvalidir

/// I've never been to school but poetry was always a huge part of life in our house. ///

Never been to school? How very sad, not being able to mix with other children of your own age, all the group games, all the banter, all the fun, all the comradeship, all the later reunions etc etc.

Mags22

Ozymandias because it reminds me of a hysterical classroom moment (not funny in re-telling, and I must go down to the sea again. Funny how certain schooldays poems stick in the mind.